Can seaming machine



March zo, 1934. J. BAHELKA 1;951,719

CAN SEAM ING MACHINE Filed Feb. l1, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 20, 1934. JQ BAHELKA CAN sEAMING MAcHlNE Filed Feb. 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 NQumran STAT.v

CAN sEnMING MACHINE Joseph Bahelka, Linden, NYJ., assignor to Stanco, Incorporated Application February 11, 1932, Serial ,15101592345 Claims.

.This invention relates to improvements in machines for seaming a cap upona can. Theinvention will be fully understood from the following descriptionftaken in connection with the ac- .5 companying drawings in which latter- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device showing the operating handle in its elevated position and with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View taken along the line III-III of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through a neck of a can showing a cap about to be seamed.

Referring particularly to the drawings, reference numeral l designates a support from the upper portion of which there depend the chuck 3 and seaming roller 4 as shown in Fig. 2. The

,20. seaming roller 4 is adapted to be moved laterally into operating engagement with the chuck 3 by means of a lever 5. The chuck is driven in rotation by a means to be later described. The chuck is adapted to press down upon a seal cap 7 which is positioned upon the neck 8 of a can 9.

The can 9 is supported by a substantially horizontally disposed disc or table 10 and is positioned upon the disc by means of a guide 11. The disc l0 is movable toward and away from the chuck 30 3 by a mechanism to be later described. The disc 10 is provided upon its upper surface and at its periphery with gear teeth 12. These teeth mesh with the teeth of a driving gear 13 when the disc is in its uppermost position. The driving gear 13 is carried by a suitable support 14 and is driven in rotation by a motor 15 through a belt 16. The supporting shaft of the driving gear 13 similarly drives the chuck 3 by means of a belt 17. A shaft `18 depends from the disc and is slidably received `4,0.' in a bracket 19 projecting laterally from the base of support 1. The disc is reciprocable vertically by means of a handle 20 constituting one arm of a. bell crank which is pivotally supported by the bracket at 21. An arm 22 of the bell crank is S4515 pivotally connected in spaced relation to the `5:51` tioned in the guide 11 upon the disc. The handle 20 is then elevated to the position designated B whereby the links 23 .draw the col1ar25 arid shaft 18 upwardly raising the disc into engagement with the driving "gear 13 'and forcingthe seal cap '7 against the chuck 3 thereby holding the can securely between the chuck and the disc.

The handle 20 is then pivoted from position B to position C. At this time the links 28 are passed across the vertical center line of pivot point 21 into a position of rest against the bracket 19 where the links are supported with the disc maintained in elevated position. A suitable set screw 30 is pivoted in the bell crank arm 22 to permit adjustment of the position C of the handle. When the handle passes from position B to position C the motor 15 is actuated through a lever 31 and a link 32 which latter throws a Mercoid switch 33 which starts the motor. The chuck 3 and the disc 10 are preferably driven at approximately the same speed of rotation.

After the cap 7 has been seamed to the neck 8 of the can, the handle 20 is lowered to position B whereupon the Mercoid switch is opened deenergizing the motor 15. At the same time a brake 34 which is carried by links 35 supported by the clamp collar 25 is actuated by a helical spring 36 which is secured at one end to the link and at its opposite end to the links 23.

The handle 20 is then dropped to the position A thereby lowering the disc 10 and disengaging the gear teeth 10 of the disc from the gear 13. The motor 15 is actuated when the cap 7 is in contact with the seaming rollers and is deactivated when the disc is lowered.

By the construction described a semi-automatic machine is provided adapted to roll the seam on a lled can in a quick and efficient manner.

Various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims in which it is desired to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

I claim:

1. A can seaming machine, comprising a disc, means for securing a can to be seamed to the disc, means supporting the disc for rotation about a vertical axis, a seaming roll and a chuck mounted in spaced relation to the disc, means for moving the disc toward the chuck whereby the can is engaged by the chuck, the disc having gear teeth in its upper surface, a driving gear positioned to engage the gear teeth when the disc has been moved toward the chuck, and means for moving the seaming roll toward the chuck whereby the disc rotates the can in engagement with the seaming roll.

2. A can seaming machine, comprising a disc, means for securing a can to be seamed to the disc, means supporting the disc for rotation about a vertical axis, a seaming roll and a chuck mounted in spaced relation to the disc, the disc having gear teeth in its upper surface, a driving gear for the gear teeth, means for moving the disc into engagement with the driving gear whereby the can is positioned to be engaged by the seaming roll and chuck, and means for actuating the driving gear.

3. A can seaming machine, comprising a substantially horizontally disposed disc for supporting a can to be seamed, a shaft depending from the disc, a bracket slidably receiving the shaft, a collar aixed to the shaft, a bell crank pivoted to the bracket, a link pivoted to the collar and to a given arm of the bell crank whereby pivotal movement of the bell crank in one direction lifts the disc` until the link reaches the vertical center line of the pivot point of the link and movement of the link beyond this center line causes it to be supported by the bracket with the disc in elevated position.

4. A can seaming machine comprising a substantially horizontally disposed disc for supporting a can to be seamed, a shaft depending from the disc, a bracket slidably receiving the shaft, means for reciprocating the disc including a collar aiiixed to the shaft, a link pivotally connected at one end to the collar, a bell crank pivotally supported by the bracket and having an arm pivotally connected to the other end of the link and adapted to move this end of the link upwardly across the vertical center line of the first mentioned pivot point, means for supporting the link beyond this vertical center line with the disc in elevated position, and a chuck mounted in spaced relation to the disc engaging the can when the disc is in elevated position.

v5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which a motor is provided for actuating the driving gear, and linkage connects the motor with the bell crank arm for actuating the motor.

JOSEPH BAHELKA. 

